Chapter 7 - The Truth Behind the MonsterThe penthouse smelled of gasoline.
Furniture had been overturned.
Paintings lay shattered.
Evelyn was on her knees.
Her hands were tied.
Marcus held a gun.
When he saw us, he smiled.
"Perfect."
Sarah stepped forward.
"You want to know why I came?"
Marcus raised the gun.
"Give me the necklace."
"I know who you are."
His expression changed.
"You don't know anything about me."
"I know you're Henry's son."
Silence.
Marcus's gun lowered by an inch.
Sarah opened the journal.
"Your father loved you."
Marcus laughed.
"No."
"He was afraid of you."
"No."
"He wrote that you had his eyes."
Marcus's hands began to shake.
"He called you his firstborn."
Marcus stared at the journal.
"Why didn't he tell me?"
Evelyn answered.
"Because he was afraid."
Marcus's face twisted.
"Afraid of what?"
"Of losing you."
For one second, the monster disappeared.
A lonely boy appeared beneath it.
But then anger returned.
"You had thirty years!"
He raised the gun.
"You had thirty years to tell me!"
Evelyn looked directly at him.
"I'm sorry."
The words stopped him.
Nobody had ever said them before.
Then the gun fired.
The bullet struck the floor.
I screamed.
Marcus demanded the necklace.
Sarah slowly reached into her pocket.
She held it out.
Marcus stepped forward.
His fingers were inches away.
Then Evelyn moved.
She tore herself free.
Marcus stumbled.
The gun fired again.
And suddenly—
"FBI!"
The doors exploded open.
Agents stormed inside.
Marcus reached for his weapon.
Sarah threw a letter opener.
It struck his hand.
The gun fell.
Seconds later, Marcus was on the floor in handcuffs.
He screamed:
"I'm Henry Whitmore's son!"
An FBI agent pulled him upright.
"And you're under arrest."
As Marcus was dragged away, he looked at me.
For one second, he looked lost.
Then the doors closed.
Evelyn collapsed.
I ran to her.
"Grandma!"
Her eyes opened.
May you like
She smiled.
"I told you I'd come back."
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